I used to regularly visit Colorado Springs back in the days when I was in the Army. It’s a beautiful city, filled with people who love the outdoor life. There’s hiking, mountain biking, even trips into the Rockies to go skiing. The opportunities are seemingly endless.

The very first time I visited though, my Soldiers assigned to Fort Carson wanted to *introduce* me this lovely city by taking me out to hike the Manitou Incline. Don’t be fooled though – they weren’t craving a leisurely hike with the boss. They wanted to see what I was made of. To gauge how tough I really was. Because that’s what you do in the military.

Despite their attempt to ambush me with this challenge, I’m no dummy. I already looked into hiking in Colorado Springs – and the Manitou Incline popped up in my research materials. I knew exactly what it entailed, and I was ready to slay it like a beast. As an adventurous soul, the incline was right up my alley! In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I continued to climb it on every subsequent visit to the city.

So with that background, it’s probably no surprise that it the Manitou Incline was on the top of my list of things to share with my family during an impromptu visit to Colorado this autumn. My 12-year old son was feeling pretty invincible, so, it was now my turn to see what he was made of.

The Manitou Incline

What is the Incline? The Manitou Incline is an extreme hiking trail that gains 2,000 feet elevation in only 0.88 miles. That means the average grade of the Incline is a whopping 43% – and there’s even a few places where it gets as steep as 68% along the route!

The Incline was originally built as a cable car line that helped build the pipeline up to Pike’s Peak. It later turned into a tourist attraction to bring people up to the foothills, but a rockslide damaged the tracks in 1990 and shut it down. Although the cable car rails were removed, the underlying bed of railroad ties climbing the mountain remained behind. And before long, Colorado locals were trekking the 2,768 steps to the summit by foot.

The challenge of hiking up the Incline isn’t just in the extreme grade though. It’s made even more tough by the environment. Manitou Springs lies on the west side of Colorado Springs, at an elevation of 6,320 feet. So if you are visiting from lower elevations, you’ll likely feel the effects of this thin air just by attempting your ordinary exercise routine there. Climbing a brutal ascent up to 8,300 feet elevation on the Incline will leave you feeling like your heart is beating right out of your chest.

Therein lies the allure of the Manitou Incline. You need to be willing to climb the steepest ascent you might ever encounter, AND do it while feeling the effects of high altitude. Pushing your body to this extreme is a bit of a game, with people timing themselves to see how quickly they can get to the top. The current record is 16 minutes, 42 seconds. But most of us just try to see if we can make it in fewer minutes than our current age.

Pacing yourself

To make it to the summit of the Incline successfully, I’ve found the “slow and steady” method seems to work best. I’ve watched too many eager young people start out like they are running stairs at their local football stadium. That technique soon fails, and within a matter of minutes, you’ll see these folks bent over huffing and puffing (or possibly dry heaving) on the side of the Incline’s stairs.

Getting to the summit is far easier if you can maintain a constant pace. You may need to occasionally stop to get a precious swallow of water from your water bottle. And that’s usually the ideal time to turn around to gawk at the beautiful sight of the city growing more and more minuscule below you. But, you have to push yourself to keep the momentum going. Protracted rest stops won’t get you to the top!

About halfway up the Incline, there’s a “bail-out point” with a short side trail connecting to the Barr Trail. If you know you can’t make it to the top, this is the time to call it quits and head down the more moderately sloped trail to the parking area. For the rest of us, though, we continue to march upward.

The next major milestone before the top is the Incline’s false summit. Plenty of newbie climbers have their hopes dashed when they crest this point. The real summit is now visible, but it’s still quite a bit off. Whenever I introduce someone new to the Incline, I resist telling them about this false summit. Why? Because it doesn’t make the climb any easier to know it’s there. And once you reach that point, you’re bound to continue upward anyway.

The final push to the summit is the best part of the Incline, in my opinion. That’s because the steepest part of the climb is behind you, and the distance between the steps become more uniform. The dramatic views are stunning, and you can often hear the people at the top cheering you to finish. And when you finally reach the apex, you cannot help but turn back around and look back down on your accomplishment.

A Family Affair

So how did it go when my son attempted the Manitou Incline? Remarkably well. After hearing my stories about it for the past few years, he was mentally prepared. He knew it was going to be a hard endeavor that would likely kick his butt.

But, I also dangled a reward in front of him. If he could reach the summit in less than 60 minutes, I’d treat him to whatever drink he wanted from Dutch Bros. on the way back home. (It’s probably worth letting you know that I can still motivate my son to do almost anything if I offer him a Dutch Bros.)

I gave him a pep talk before we started, and I shared my strategy about pacing himself. I generally complete the incline in about 45 minutes when I do it, but I didn’t want him to feel like I was dragging him to the summit at my pace. So, I let him attempt it on his own and pace himself.

Each time I stopped for water on the way up, I turned to check on his progress, and was proud to see that he was hanging in there. He wasn’t keeping pace with me, but he was still moving strong and passing lots of other people along the way. It’s these moments that make my heart swell with pride. Watching him muster his internal fortitude to achieve something this difficult was incredibly rewarding.

As the stopwatch passed 52 minutes, he summited the Manitou Incline for the first time. Not bad for a newbie! Not bad at all.

Getting Back Down

Once we made it to the top of the Incline, we still had the task of getting back down. I don’t recommend anyone use the stairs to reach their starting point. Unless you’re as sure-footed as a mountain goat, chances are you’ll be moving twice as slow going down as you did on the trek up. The steps are steep and will beat your knees up if you attempt it. Plus, if you stumble while going down, the results could be catastrophic for you and the nearby people ascending.

As a result, virtually all climbers choose to return to their starting point via the Barr Trail. This trail runs from the base of the Manitou Incline all the way up to Pike’s Peak, and is the official course for the Pike’s Peak Ascent and Marathon.

It’s only 0.88 miles to get to the top of the Incline, but getting back down using the Barr Trail is going to add approximately 4 miles to your journey. Despite this additional distance, the benefits of using the Barr Trail are obvious. It is more gently graded as it winds around the side of the mountain instead of going straight up and down it. And trust me, your knees and ankles will thank you for taking the longer route.

We opted to gently jog back down the Barr Trail to our starting point. Street parking in Manitou Springs is metered, and the spot we snagged only had a a two-hours maximum. So, we needed to move down the mountain at a decent clip to avoid getting a parking ticket.

After finally reaching the car, we could feel the extent of our workout up and down the mountain. It was a great way to start the morning, and were definitely ready for out celebratory cup of Dutch Bros.!

Final Thoughts

If you’re thinking about tackling the Manitou Incline too, here’s a few pointers and things you should know about the trek.

• Dogs are not allowed on the Incline. Yes, you will probably see some dogs out there despite this rule. Coloradans seems to want to take their dogs pretty much everywhere. Nonetheless, the purpose of the rule is two-fold: (1) to protect your dog’s health from this extreme activity; and (2) and to keep the Incline sanitary and free of urine/feces.
• Parking near the Incline. There’s very limited public parking on Ruxton Avenue between the downtown Manitou Springs and the base of the Incline. Street parking is metered and may have strict time limits. Another parking option is the Barr Trail parking lot, which costs $10 per day. It’s definitely pricier than the street parking, but it has the benefit of being right at the trailhead.
• Free Shuttle. If you need longer to climb the Incline and you don’t want to pay $10, there’s another great option too. The city has a free parking area (with no time restrictions) next to Manitou Memorial Park. From there, you can hop on the free shuttle that runs to/from the base of the Incline every 15 minutes between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• Bring plenty of water. The Incline is an extremely strenuous endeavor, and you need to be properly hydrated. There’s absolutely nowhere to stop and get water along the climb or on the Barr Trail. Most people choose to carry a daypack with water bottles or a hydration bladder to the summit.
• Bathrooms. Make sure to utilize the port-a-potties at the base of the Incline before you start. You won’t find any more on the way up or down, and there’s precious little privacy if nature calls during the trek.
• Watch the weather. Colorado Springs is notorious for lightening storms during the summer afternoons. Frost, snow, and ice are also frequent visitors during the cooler months. It’s best to avoid the Incline during these inclement weather conditions.
• Coffee. If you need your coffee fix at the end of your journey, the Incline Base Camp coffee shop is located at the base of the Incline. And the closest Dutch Bros is on 21st Street near Old Colorado City.

Want to know more about the Manitou Incline?

Check out these local resources:

• The Manitou Incline (Colorado Springs Visitor Information)
• Manitou Springs Official Site
• Speed Records for the Manitou Incline
• YouTube videos of the Manitou Incline